Propelling mechanism for vessels.



` l4 LSL E. R. NIcCREARY.

PROPELLING MECHANISNI FOR VISSELS.`

APPucATxoN FILED SEPT. 25. |916.

Patented Aug. 7, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

E. R. MCCREARY. PHOPELLING MECHANISM FDR vEssELs.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.25. 1916.

' Patented Aug. 7, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Imm@ I INIIhu .mm

:aL-UAH it. MGCREARY, or FRANKLINTON, LOUISIANA.

rRo'PELfING MECHANISM Fort' viissnns.

Specification of Letters liatent.

Patented Aug. 7, 1917.

Application led September 25, 1916. Serial No. 122,116.

To all 107mm it may concern Be it .known that I, ELIJAH R. MCCRARY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Franklinton, in the parish' of Vashington and State of Louisiana,- have invented certain new4 and useful Improvements in Propelling Mechanisms for Vessels; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will ena-ble others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

.My invention has for its object to provide simple yet highly etlicient and durable means for easily propelling numerous kinds of boats, provision being made whereby the propelling` meansv is provided with an unusually large areafor engagement with the water.

iVith the foregoing the invention resides in certain novel features of construction and in unique combinations of parts to be hereinafter fully described and claimed, the descriptive matter being supplemented by the accompanying' drawings which constitute a part of this application and in which:

Figure 1 is substantially a central vertical longitudinal section of a boat equipped with the improved propelling means;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view thereof;

Figs. 3 and 4 are vertical transverse sections on the planes of the lines' 8-3 and 4-4 of Fig. 1 respectively;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged horizontal section on the plane of the line 5-5 of Fig; 4;

Fig. 6 is a detail vertical section on the plane of the line 6-6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a detail elevation showing a modied form of construction.

Throughout the several views the numeral 1 designates the hull of a boat whose bottom is provided with a longitudinally extending well 2 opening through the bottom of the hull, the floor 3 of said hull being preferably though not necessarily below the top of the well 2 as depicted in Fig. 3.

A pair of shafts 4 extend across the ends of the well 2 and carry peripherally grooved wheels 5 around which an endless belt 6 passes, said belt being preferably in the form of a wire cable as shown. Any desired means may be provided for rotating one or both of the shafts 4 to propel the lower reach of a cable 6 rearwardly, but for illustrative purposes one of said shafts is shown as equipped with a gear 7 by means general object in view,

of which it may be connected with another gear or gears driven from the engine not shown.

Pairs of blocks 8 are clamped in contact with opposite sides of the cable 6 at suitably spaced intervals by means of bolts 9, said blocks having transverse grooves 10 in their inner faces to receive the cable as shown in Fig. 6. The grooves 10 preferably converge from the inner toward the outer edges of the blocks so as to readily receive the cable without unnecessarily angling the latter. The blocks 8 are provided with integral vertical flanges 11 to which laterally extending blades or paddles 12 are secured by bolts or the like 13, the outer ends of said blades or paddles being disposed adjacent the sides of the well 2.

The outer ends of the blades or paddles 12 are provided with ears 14 riveted or otherwise secured thereto and the shanks of T- shaped guide members 18 are threaded in said ears as shown clearly in Fig. 4, the heads of said members being received between inner and outer angle metal tracks 1G and 17 which coperate in forming a continuous hollow guideway for said heads. The head of each member 15 is provided on its ends with rollers 1S while the shanks thereof are similarly equipped with rollers 19 so as to reduce friction to a minimum.

By connecting the paddles 12 with the cable 6 as shown and described they may be quickly detached whenever necessary or may be adjusted on said cable to permit additional blades to be applied, and by mounting the outer ends of said blades or paddles in the manner illustrated, they will be effectively held in horizontal position and will thus operate more perfectly than if the tracks or guideways were eliminated. These two features therefore are deemed the most important of the invention.

In Fig. 7 a slightly different form of construction is shown in which a wheel 5a is shown mounted on a shaft 4a and having a plurality of peripheral grooves, a number of cables 6a being passed around said wheel and received in the grooves thereof. Blocks 8a identical with those illustrated at 8 contact with the outer sides of the outermost cables at suitably spaced intervals and other blocks 8b are interposed between the numerous cables and will be provided with grooves similar to those shown at 10, bolts 9L being provided for clamping the numerous blocks on the cables. Paddles 12a are secured to the flanges l1n of the blocks 8 and since the plurality of cables 6a will prevent tilting of said paddles, the supporting means above described for the ends thereof may be eliminated. This type of the invention is particularly adaptable for use on speed boats since no friction prevails to retard the movement of the propelling means.

Regardless of the form of propelling means used, the hull 1 will be provided with two rudders 20 so disposed as to be on opposite sides of the current of water thrown rearwardly by the paddles l2 or 12a. By this arrangement the resistance offered by the rudders is reduced to a minimum.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that although the invention is rather simple and inexpensive, it will be efficient and durable. For these reasons, the structures shown and described constitute the preferred embodiments of the improved propelling means, but it is to be understood that within the scope of the invention as claimed numerous changes may be made without sacrificing the principal advantages.

I claim:

1. The combination with a boat having a longitudinally extending well opening through its bottom; of a pair of shafts extending transversely across the ends of said well, peripherally grooved wheels on said shafts, an endless cable trained around said wheels, blocks on opposite sides of said cable at predetermined points and having transverse grooves in their inner faces receiving said cable, said grooves converging from the inner to the outer edges of the blocks, bolts passing through said blocks above and below the grooves thereof for holding the former. in engagement and clamping them through its bottom; of front and rear shafts y extending transversely across said well and each having a peripherally grooved wheel, an endless cable trained around said wheels, a plurality of oppositely extending paddles carried by said cable, T-shaped guide members extending from the ends of said paddles, and hollow continuous guideways car ried by the sides of the well and receiving the heads of said members to prevent the paddles from tilting.

3. The combination with a boat having a longitudinally extending well opening through its bottom; of front and rear shafts extending across said well and each having a peripherally grooved wheel, an endless cable trained around said wheels, a plurality of paddles extending in opposite directions from said cable, the outer ends of said paddles having ears projecting laterally therefrom, T-shaped guide members whose Shanks are threaded in said ears at their free ends, continuous inner and outer angle metal tracks receiving the heads of said guide members, anti-friction rollers on the ends of said heads, and similar rollers on the shanks of said guide-members.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ELIJAH R. MGCREARY.

IVitnesses:

H. WooDARD, I. R. PIERCE.

copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington. ID. G. l 

